PARTNERSHIP. Department of Agriculture (DA) 8 (Eastern Visayas) Executive Director Angel Enriquez (left) and Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Director Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac during a coordination meeting on July 14, 2022. The regional police office has forged a partnership with the DA-8, heeding the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address food security challenges. (Photo courtesy of DA-8)
TACLOBAN CITY – The regional office of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has forged a partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) 8 (Eastern Visayas), heeding the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address food security challenges.
In a statement on Friday, PNP Regional Director Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said their office and DA-8 Executive Director Angel Enriquez agreed during a meeting on July 14 to implement measures to ensure the smooth implementation of food production-related programs.
Among these measures are the designation of a “cargo lane” for agriculture and fisheries inputs and food products transported by air, water, and land; aiding in field validation and monitoring in rebel-infiltrated areas; and securing the distribution of farm inputs and farm machinery, especially in remote areas.
Other measures are to strengthen the implementation of the law that protects consumers by stabilizing the prices of basic and prime commodities; monitor against hoarding, smuggling, profiteering, price manipulations, and similar unlawful acts; and conduct technology demonstrations on planting crops and livestock raising in vacant lots inside the police camps and stations.
The PNP is also committed to assisting in the enforcement of regulatory measures for the prevention and management of crop pests and diseases; and assisting in terms of logistics support and food mobilization to ensure stable food supply and price, especially during calamities and other emergency situations.
“The PNP is here to serve and protect, and we fully support the mandate of President Bongbong Marcos, on food sufficiency. We can help and sustain DA programs, following the principle of unity and cooperation and the mandate of the PNP to protect and to serve,” Banac said.
Enriquez thanked the police force for the positive response to the many activities undertaken by her office at the time of the pandemic.
One of these was the collaboration during the height of the occurrence of the African swine fever in Abuyog, Leyte from January to February 2021.
She also lauded the partnership of the two agencies in the distribution of Rice Farmers Financial Assistance from November 2021 to May 2022, and the unhampered flow of agricultural goods and inputs during the height of pandemic movement restriction from March to April 2020.
“We truly believe that if your professional, dynamic, and highly motivated officers, will collaborate with our equally passionate agriculture staff, we will be able to slowly attain food sufficiency. At the end of the day, the DA and PNP must ensure that our communities are safe, secured, and food-sufficient,” Enriquez said in her message.
A total of 142 policemen and agriculturists attended the blended meeting held at the PNP regional office in Palo, Leyte. (PNA)
